Art Thompson is senior editor of Guitar Player magazine and he has authored stories with numerous guitar greats, including B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Carlos Santana, Billy Gibbons, Steve Miller, Prince, Reeves Gabrels, Joe Perry, Robben Ford, Brian Setzer, Sonny Landreth, Zakk Wylde, Eric Johnson, Robin Trower,
Scotty Moore, James Burton, Merle Haggard, Roy Nichols, Jimmie Vaughan and many others.
He has interviewed gear innovators such as Paul Reed Smith, Randall Smith, Mark Sampson and Gary Kramer, and he wrote the 1998 GP cover story/review of 150 vintage stomp boxes – an article that helped spark renewed interest in pedals from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. He also wrote the first book on the subject, Stompbox.
As a guitarist, he has shared stages with Gregg Allman, Stray Cats, Joe Ely, Dick Dale, Robben Ford, Lonnie Brooks, Kansas, Marshall Tucker, Foghat, Little Charlie and the Nitecats, Kenny Vaughan and Clarence Clemons, and he maintains a busy performing schedule with three stylistically diverse groups, all of which provide ample opportunity to test-drive new guitars, amps and effects, many of which are featured in the pages of GP.
